Have you noticed a kind of urge or eagerness to carry out activities in the lives of teenagers? Some of them are characterized with stubbornness, rudeness and wild attitudes which bother most parents, but understanding why they act the way they do will go a long way to help adults and their parents manage the situation effectively. This is why there is need for us go through this topic thoughtfully. Now let us consider those things that make them act the way they do and how it can be controlled.
1. Change in Hormones
2. Computer Age
3. Knowledge acquired between ages 2 – 9
Change in Hormones
As a child is growing towards teenage group, a lot of hormonal changes take place resulting to body changes like development of breast, growing of hair in pubic areas and emotional development.
When they notice these changes, some of them feel they have finally arrived at that age when they can boldly challenge adults and talk back at them, take some decisions without involving the parents and go to places they have not been allowed to go. Some start dancing towards their emotions without seeking for advice from parents. Most find themselves getting attracted to opposite sex and they can’t help it because it is as a result of hormonal changes which are beyond their control.
At this stage, adults are not supposed to take it hard on them. They should resort to advice and guidance. The advice should come in friendly tone because anything more than that will not yield necessary result.
Teens should also know that if they make mistake by not listening to their parents at this stage, they will later live to regret it.
Computer Age
This is another fact that contributes to why teenagers act the way they do. Computer age is a period when so many unthinkable things are displayed on the internet and television screen. Most of them have this instruction: “Not to be viewed by people younger than 18”. But tell me, how many adults will have the time to monitor what these teenagers view. Believe me, some of them can leave the house and watch it somewhere else without the parents’ consent and before you know it, they start practicing what they have seen, both good and evil.
To control this, parents should sing it as song to them and also teach them the dangers of watching or viewing some dangerous sites, so that when they are not around, it will be ringing in their memory.
Cyber cafés should also be mandated to monitor what kids and teenagers watch in their cafes.
Knowledge Acquired Between Ages 2 – 9
Ages two to nine are very delicate in the life of anybody. Their five senses are very much alert to capture and store whatever that is happening around them. And whatever that is picked at this stage is difficult to drop. Little wonder, teenagers from quarrelsome families are always seen displaying such trait among their groups. One child was once asked his parents name and he said, his mum is “Oloshi” and dad is “Oloriburuku”. These are Yoruba language which means “thief” and “bad head” respectively. The story was told that this child’s parents were always fond of abusing themselves with those words and the child took it to be their individual names.
To control this, parents should bring up their kids in the fear of God. Inculcate God’s word in them when they are growing up and also live the life of godliness because at that stage, they pick actions more easily than words.
Teenagers should also know that the way they arrange their beds now will be how they will lie down on it at old age.
